Taking the Stand for Jesus
The Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
We all know somebody who’s a Straight Shooter , a person who will tell you like it is. (Not always a good thing) In our text this morning we are introduced to John the Baptizer, a person who tells it like it is!
Illustration - Elderly woman who’s called to be a witness in a criminal trial. “Mrs. Wilson, do you know who I am?”
Defense attorney - dishonest, money hungry, arrogant
Prosecuting attorney - Lazy, bigoted, worst law practice
Judge
Introduction to John the Baptizer
John’s background - Son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Zechariah was a priest. John was born into the aristocracy of Jewish society. Rather than live a more comfortable lifestyle, John secluded himself in preparation for God’s call upon his life.
John’s preparation years
John’s ministry - Sent to call all people to repentance of sins. To bring the hearts of God’s people back to Him. When the heart is right the feet will follow!
Elderly woman who’s called to be a witness in a criminal trial
13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Luke 1:
John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
John’s original reluctance to baptize Jesus was based on the fact that he knew He was a Godly person and did not need to repent as the Jews did. John knew Jesus as his relative but not as the Christ.
Son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Zechariah was a priest. John was born into the aristocracy of Jewish society
After introducing us to Jesus (Word, God, Life, Believe, Glory, Grace & Truth), John the disciple (Author of John) begins to build his case proving that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah). John takes the stand and this is his testimony over the coarse of his three day trial.
Son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Zechariah was a priest. John was born into the aristocracy of Jewish society
1st Testimony - He is Here
1st Testimony - He is Here
19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”
21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ”
24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
John the Baptizer comes in like a lightening bolt (Elijah) telling people to repent because the Messiah is coming. He wore animal skins with a leather belt and ate locusts and wild honey.
“the Jewish leaders” or “the Jews” appears nearly 70 x’s in this Gospel. Sometimes favorably, but more often it is an expression of hostility. The Sanhedrin and the Levites were responsible for guarding proper Temple worship.
Elijah
“See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction.”
The Prophet (Moses’ promise)
The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.
Deuteronomy 18:1
Notice John’s bold answers - “I am not the Messiah”, “I am not” and “no”. Then imagine the shock when he quotes Isaiah ...
A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Listen to all of Isaiah’s prophecy which is the context for John’s answer ...
1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. 3 A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. 5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Notice John’s Humility & Willingness to do God’s Will
Vs. 26-27 shows John’s humility recognizing that he was not worthy to even untie the straps of Jesus’ sandals. (A slaves job)
2nd Testimony - Look to Him
2nd Testimony - Look to Him
John 1:2
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”
“Look, the Lamb of God!”
The Jews understood the Lamb sacrifice. Every morning and evening a Lamb was slain. A lamb in the OT was used for sacrifices particularly the Passover - to make atonement, or “covering” for sin.
The first Biblical mention of the lamb appears in when Abraham went to the altar to offer his son Isaac
talks about the Lamb as a guilt offering
John comes back to it in Revelation as a triumphal title for the conquering Lord.
Tenney says, “It combines in one descriptive term the concepts of innocence, voluntary sacrifice, substitutionary atonement, effective obedience, and redemptive power like that of the Passover Lamb.”
John acknowledges that Jesus was born to die.
Have you seen Jesus in the same light that John the Baptizer did? Look to Him!
Have you seen Jesus in the same light that John the Baptizer did? Look to Him!
3rd Testimony - Follow Him
3rd Testimony - Follow Him
John 1:35-
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).
John’s Gospel does not say much about the calling of Jesus’ disciples, but the remainder of Chapter 1 introduces several of them. In two weeks we will look in more detail with a message entitled “The Five Who Followed”
As Jesus launched his own public ministry, many of John’s followers began to follow Him. This brought joy to John because the purpose of what God called him to do was being fulfilled.
30 He must become greater; I must become less.”
Conclusion
Some time after this, John was imprisoned by Herod Antipas (Later beheaded). It was at this time John began to become concerned about Jesus’ ministry and began to question as to why he had not established his earthly kingdom. (Side note: All of us have been at the place where we question God’s plan and timing)
3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.
2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
Matthew
Matthew 11:1-
1 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.
2 When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.
Jesus then told the crowds that John was the greatest of God’s prophets. John fulfilled Malachi’s prediction (4:5) that another Elijah would come just before the Messiah (). John the bold yet humble messenger never got tired of turning people to Jesus!
Though the NT does not tell us, John was probably satisfied with Jesus’ answer. John might not know Gods’ plans, but he could recognize God’s loving hand.
Today I invited you to respond to Jesus. He is Here so Look to Him and Follow Him!
Response ~ Song ~ Prayer